Irwin was born in Northern Ireland and moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1949 where he met Reay Smithers, then director of the National Museum of Southern Rhodesia in Bulawayo, and soon became collector with the museum. In 1959 he was assistant curator of vertebrates, subsequently curator of ornithology, in 1975[1] regional director in Bulawayo, and finally associate ornithologist, and as of 2012[1] a natural history librarian in Norfolk.[3]
Irwin worked closely with Constantine Walter Benson, an authority on central African birds. Together, they expanded the bird collection of the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe until it became the largest both in Africa and in the southern hemisphere. It currently housed over 90,000 specimens from Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries and is one of the museum's greatest resources.[3]
In 1981, Irwin published his best known work The Birds of Zimbabwe, but he had previously published the Bibliography of the Birds of Rhodesia in 1978, and co-authored A Checklist of Birds of Southern Rhodesia (with Reay Smithers) in 1957 and The Birds of Zambia (with Constantine Walter Benson) in 1971. He contributed also to The Birds of Africa series (with Emil K. Urban, Stuart Keith and C. Hilary Fry) and has published more than 300 scientific papers, many of them in the museum's journal Arnoldia.[3]
Irwin described the subspecies Spizocorys conirostris crypta of the pink-billed lark in 1957,[4] the subspecies Eremopterix verticalis khama of the grey-backed sparrow-lark in 1957,[5] the subspecies Calamonastes stierlingi pinto of the Stierling's wren-warbler in 1960,[6] and together with Benson the subspecies Eremopterix verticalis harti in 1965[7] and the subspecies Mirafra fasciolata reynoldsi of the eastern clapper lark in 1965.[8] In collaboration with Phillip Clancey he described the monotypic genus Arcanator for the dapple-throat in 1986.[9]
Irwin was editor of Honeyguide, an ornithological journal of Bird Life Zimbabwe, for 24 years.[3]
In May 2017, he had a severe fall and in September 2017 he died from the consequences of a hip fracture.[2]
Referencesedit
^ abcBeolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2014). The Eponym Dictionary of Birds. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN1472905741, p 278
^ abObituary in The Babbler, No. 138, Oct–Nov 2017, p 3
^Irwin, Michael P. Stuart, 1957: A new race of pink-billed lark Calandrella conirostris from Northern Bechuanaland Protectorate. Bull Brit Ornithol Club 77(7): 117
^Irwin, Michael P.S., 1957: A new race of Eremopterix verticalis from the Makarikari Pan, Northern Bechuanaland Protectorate. Bull Brit Ornithol Club 77(5): 87
^Irwin, M.P.S. (1960) Relationships within the Camaroptera fasciolata-stierlingi-simplex complex of warblers. Durban Mus. Novit. 6(3): 47-60.
^C. W. Benson & M. P. Stuart Irwin (1965): A new subspecies of Clapper lark, mirafra apiata from Barotseland Arnoldia, Rhodesia 1(37): 1
^P. A. Clancey & M. P. S. Irwin (1986): A new generic status for the Dappled Mountain robin Bulletin Br. Orn. Club 106 (3), p 111-115
March 17, 2024
michael, patrick, stuart, irwin, english, bowler, stuart, irwin, bowls, 1925, september, 2017, british, rhodesian, ornithologist, born1, july, 1925donaghadee, county, down, northern, irelanddied13, september, 2017, 2017, aged, litcham, norfolknationalitynorthe. For English bowler see Stuart Irwin bowls Michael Patrick Stuart Irwin 1925 1 13 September 2017 2 was a British Rhodesian ornithologist Michael Patrick Stuart IrwinBorn1 July 1925Donaghadee County Down Northern IrelandDied13 September 2017 2017 09 13 aged 92 Litcham NorfolkNationalityNorthern IrishCitizenshipBritish RhodesianKnown forThe Birds of ZimbabweScientific careerFieldsOrnithologyInstitutionsNatural History Museum of ZimbabweAuthor abbrev zoology IrwinBiography editIrwin was born in Northern Ireland and moved to Southern Rhodesia now Zimbabwe in 1949 where he met Reay Smithers then director of the National Museum of Southern Rhodesia in Bulawayo and soon became collector with the museum In 1959 he was assistant curator of vertebrates subsequently curator of ornithology in 1975 1 regional director in Bulawayo and finally associate ornithologist and as of 2012 1 a natural history librarian in Norfolk 3 Irwin worked closely with Constantine Walter Benson an authority on central African birds Together they expanded the bird collection of the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe until it became the largest both in Africa and in the southern hemisphere It currently housed over 90 000 specimens from Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries and is one of the museum s greatest resources 3 In 1981 Irwin published his best known work The Birds of Zimbabwe but he had previously published the Bibliography of the Birds of Rhodesia in 1978 and co authored A Checklist of Birds of Southern Rhodesia with Reay Smithers in 1957 and The Birds of Zambia with Constantine Walter Benson in 1971 He contributed also to The Birds of Africa series with Emil K Urban Stuart Keith and C Hilary Fry and has published more than 300 scientific papers many of them in the museum s journal Arnoldia 3 Irwin described the subspecies Spizocorys conirostris crypta of the pink billed lark in 1957 4 the subspecies Eremopterix verticalis khama of the grey backed sparrow lark in 1957 5 the subspecies Calamonastes stierlingi pinto of the Stierling s wren warbler in 1960 6 and together with Benson the subspecies Eremopterix verticalis harti in 1965 7 and the subspecies Mirafra fasciolata reynoldsi of the eastern clapper lark in 1965 8 In collaboration with Phillip Clancey he described the monotypic genus Arcanator for the dapple throat in 1986 9 Irwin was editor of Honeyguide an ornithological journal of Bird Life Zimbabwe for 24 years 3 In May 2017 he had a severe fall and in September 2017 he died from the consequences of a hip fracture 2 References edit a b c Beolens Bo Watkins Michael Grayson Michael 2014 The Eponym Dictionary of Birds Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN 1472905741 p 278 a b Obituary in The Babbler No 138 Oct Nov 2017 p 3 a b c d The Museums Renowned Past Curators Irwin Michael P Stuart 1957 A new race of pink billed lark Calandrella conirostris from Northern Bechuanaland Protectorate Bull Brit Ornithol Club 77 7 117 Irwin Michael P S 1957 A new race of Eremopterix verticalis from the Makarikari Pan Northern Bechuanaland Protectorate Bull Brit Ornithol Club 77 5 87 Irwin M P S 1960 Relationships within the Camaroptera fasciolata stierlingi simplex complex of warblers Durban Mus Novit 6 3 47 60 Benson C W amp Irwin M P S 1965 The Grey backed Sparrow lark Eremopterix verticalis Smith Arnoldia Rhodesia 1 36 1 9 C W Benson amp M P Stuart Irwin 1965 A new subspecies of Clapper lark mirafra apiata from Barotseland Arnoldia Rhodesia 1 37 1 P A Clancey amp M P S Irwin 1986 A new generic status for the Dappled Mountain robin Bulletin Br Orn Club 106 3 p 111 115 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Michael Patrick Stuart Irwin amp oldid 1179856612, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
